The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-05-28
TERRIBLE DISASTER.
Collision Between the Ocean
Steamers Celtic and Britannia.
A Number of Passengers Killed and
Wounded-StOrY of the Disaster as
Cleaned from the Passengers-A
Dense Fog Mainly Responsible.

Britannia, of the White Star Line, which
left New York for Liverpool on Wednes-
day last, ran into the steamship Celtic, Of
the same line, bound for New York, on
Thursday morning, during dense fog, off
Nantucket The Celtic was struck just
abaft the mizzen rigging, and badly dam
damaged. The Britannia, however, sus-
tanned even greater injury, and was
obliged to turn back to this port, arriving
off the bar with the Celtic about noon
yesterday The captains of both vessels
were on the lookout for other vessls and
icebergs at the time Of the collision, the
fog being unusually heavy.
Four grown persons and little girl, all
steerage passengers on the Britannia,
were killed and seven persons injured.
| Two of the latter, VIM. Lawler, aged
! sixty-fve, and Patrick Burke, aged forty
five, had their arms and legs broken, and
were brought to ST. Vincents Hospital,
this city, for treatment. The physicians
refuse to let them talk about the accident
! The mail boat which brought them up,
also brought number of the Britannia
passengers, including c. p. Huntington.
The two disabled steamships are an
chored of the Sandy Hook lightship
The little girl referred to was the
daughter of Mrs. Robinson, of Fall River,
Mass. She was knocked overheard and
drowned. Her little brother hal his arm
crushed. Mrs. Robinson was with her
children on the Britannia.
The collision occurred about eighty
miles from the main land about off Nam
tucket. The Britannia was on her course,
heading east by north, while the Celtic
was evidently lost and had her bow
poin ting about south The first accounts
of the disaster prove to have been incor-
rect in stating that the Celtic was run
into. The Celtic struck the Britannia on
the port side at the III Zzen rigging, and
only few feet astern Of the after end Of
the boiler room The mizzen rigging, iron
work and all, was wrenched from its
fastenings. The rail was torn from its
foundation as far aft as the jigger-mast,
and the after turtle back was carried into
the air and overheard as though it was
made of pasteboard.
The blow was a glancing one, the prov
of the Celtic striking at less than right
angle AS the striking steamship glanced
along the side it rebounded twice in its
course smashing two small boats to
pieces and bending the heavy iron force
pump that stood near the butchers quar-,
tiers over against the deck like piece OF
tin. As the bow struck the pump II
caught steerage passenger, whose name
is not known, as he Grresolutely in his
excitemenO was unable to get out of the
way in time, crushed him against the iron
and cut the body completely in two.
little girl of about eleven years named
Robinson, who was with her mother and
brother on her way to England for visit
was also crushed by the bow, her face
and breast being split open through the
middle.
This scenes that followed are variously
described. Mr.. Z. Storey Smith, Of Bos
ton, passenger on the Britannia, was
seen at the st. James Hotel after he hat
been brought up with the other passen
gers, both cabin and Storage, on the m al
boat. He said:
'There was very dense fog at the timt
of the collision, and horns were blow NJ
continually. Between $50 and p. M, OF
Thursday we heard the fog horn of an
; other vessel. l went on deck and peereC
eagerly into the mist. There was grea
commotion on our deck. Iran to the por
bow, but twas not for several minutes
that could see anything Then | dis
tinguished the large black hull Of {
steamer bearing down on US. Signals t
! slow up were given on our vessel
+ We were proceeding at abou
{ regular fog speed while the
other steamer seemed to have little more
Roadway on. As the approaching vesse
discovered us she changed her course
somewhat and struck us obliquely abaf
the Storage gangway Rebounding she
struck again and again, but with less force
E each time, and finally she slipped along
under our stern and came up partly OF
the other, the starboard side. There
were evidently orders to launch boats, al
though / heard none given, tor half
dozen boats were manned and launched
The Storage passengers rushed for thu
boats, but were driven Dacl
{ by the officers aud crew and tn
ladies allowed to embark first. Three
! boat loads were taken to the Celtic
and the fourth was ready, when Captain
q Perry announced that there was no dan
ger of sinking, as the damage was con
fined to the fourth compartment, whic
was full of water. This quoted the 'pas
SengerS. Mr.. DnlJn DeleVcu Jndb vi
killed numbered four adults and littl
y girl. Some of the steerage passengers
s who are quartered in a lodging house i
West street at the expense of the Whit
4 Star Line, tell different story, and clair
that the crew did not behave well an
monopolizod the boats. They also sa
y that the fog was not so Dense but tina
: if oper caution had been observed tn
s. collision could la We been avoided.
Il The men of the party sat around tn
II dingy office of the clearinghouse until
late hour rehearsing over and over agai
S their experience in the collision, Thes
+ men said that at the time Of the accider
e the fog was not so thick but that the
~ could see the Celtic two hundred feet Q
= more away. They charge that when e
: forts were made to lower the boats tn
gear ran foul and rusty, as though 1t ha
not been practiced in a long time. Their
C was q sudden rush, they said, for tn
e boats until Captain Perry drew his r.
k volver and threatened to shoot any ma
= who attempted to enter boat The crew
including the fremen and stokers, weI
d among the most prominent in the attemI